Device for controlling cylinder-cocks of locomotives.



J. H. DE SALIS.

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING CYLINDER COOKS OF LOCOMOTIVES,

APPLICATION IILED 1130.27, 1909.

958,858. Patented May 24 mm.

WITNESSES: i 1" ATTORNE Y.

JOSEPH H. DE SALIS, OF EAST SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING GYLINDER COCKS OF LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 27, 1909.

Patented May 24;, 1910.

Serial No. 535,017.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH H. Dn Sans, a citizen of the United States,and resident of East Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the Stateof New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices forControlling Cylinder-Cocks of Locomotives, of which the following, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention pertains to the usual and well known cylinder-cocks of alocomotive, and the main object of the invention is to effect therelease from the cylinder, of all water resulting from the condensationof steam, without the escapement of the steam from the cylinders.

To that end the invention consists in the simple and novel constructionof a valvemechanism adapted to be controlled by the engineman as will behereinafter fully described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a side view of aportion of a steam-cylinder of a locomotive provided with the well knowncylinder-cocks and illustrating my improved valve-mechanism, the valvesbeing in closed positions; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional viewon the line X-X; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line -Y-Y inFig. 2.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views ofthe drawings.

1 denotes a steam-cylinder of a locomotive which is provided on itsbottom with the Well known cylinder-cocks disposed at the respective endportions thereof as usual. These cylinder-cocks may be of any suitablestyle or construction, however I have shown the form most commonly usedon locomotives, and which consists of a casing --2 which has its upperportion sorew-threaded internally to receive a correspondingly threadednipple 3-- attached to the cylinder in the usual manner. The said casingis of cylindrical shape and provided in one side with a port 4 throughwhich the water or steam may escape, and above the port is formed a tacred-valve seat -5 upon which the va ve 6 is normally seated, said valvebeing formed on the upper end of a vertically movable stem -7.

The lower-portion of the casing is formed with two oppositely disposedvertical slots 8-8, and the valve-stem is provided with a coincidingslot 9-, through which slots passes a flat metal bar -10 disposedparallel with the cylinder. To the rear end of the said bar is pivotallyconnected the usual rod 10*- designed to be attached to a suitable leverarranged in the cab of the locomotive and operative for shifting the barforwardly and rearwardly.

Adjacent to each cylinder-cock the bar 10- has its bottom edge portioncut out to form two steps 11 and -12- by which it is adapted to bearupon the lower end of the slots -88 of the casing incident to thelongitudinal shifting movement of the bar. At the junction of the twosteps 1112 the edge of the bar is provided with a rearwardly inclinedportion 12"- which causes the bar to raise and lower by its contact withthe lower end of the forward slot of the casing. hen the bar is in itsextreme forward position, it rests with its steps -l1-11 in the lowerends of the slots 8-8, whereby the valves -6-6- are permitted to beseated, in which position they are normally held by the pressure of thesteam in the cylinder. WVhen the bar is shifted to its extreme rearwardposition to carry the steps -1212- into the slots 8-8-9-9--, theengagement of the inclined edge portions of the bar with the lower endsof the nearer slots 9- of the casings lifts the bar, whereby theengagement of the top edge of the bar with the upper ends of the slots8-8 of the valvestems causes the latter to be raised to hold the valvesopen.

It will be understood that the valves are retained in open positions toallow the steam to discharge from the cylinder, it being the commonpractice of the person in charge of a locomotive to maintain the valvesin this position for short period in order to blow water out of thecylinders and at the same time heat the cylinders to guard against theblowing of the water out through the exhaust, which is veryobjectionable in certain localities. It is also the practice of theengineman to open the said valves from time to time while the locomotiveis traveling over the line, in order to release the water from thecylinders, however, this is obj ectionable for the reason that theescaping steam tends to obscure the track ahead from the view of theengineman, and thus there is great liability of accidents being caused.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide valve-controllingmeans which can be regulated so as to efficiently discharge water fromthe cylinders, while the locomotive is in motion, and at the same timewill guard against the escape of steam therefrom.

To attain the objects of my invention, I prefer to employ thelongitudinally-shiftable bar shown and which is commonly used inconnection with the cylinder-cocks, although other means may beprovided, the essential feature of the invention residing in combiningwith the cylinder-cocks, a means actuatedalternately by the two valvesincident to pressure of the steam upon the latter, whereby the saidpressure in one end of the cylinder and resultant closing of thecorresponding valve in closed position will cause the valve at the endsto which the piston is traveling to open. In the operation of the Valvesthe water collecting in the cylinder may be blown out without theescapement of steam.

To effect the alternate actions of the valves with the use of theaforesaid shifting bar 10, I provide the bar with a fulcrum disposedmidway between the valves whereby the said valves impart a rockingmotion to the bar when the latter is shifted rearwardly to apredetermined degree. This fulcrum may be of any suitable form and insome instances the usual and well known. so-called port-cock which iscommon to locomotive-cylinders may be utilized for the purpose. In thepresent case I have shown a solid metal stud -13 shaped correspondinglywith the casings of the valves and screwed into the cylinder in likemanner. This stud is provided in its lower portion with a vertical slot14l extending completely across the same, and coinciding with the slotsof said casings and through said slot 14- the bar -10- extends. The saidbar has its bottom edge portion cut out intermediate its length to formthree steps 151617 each of which is designed to bear on the lower end ofthe slot -14:, incident to the longitudinal shiftin of the bar.

At the junction of'the steps -15l6 the edge portion is inclined towardthe step 15 as indicated at 15*- and at the junction of the steps 16-17-the edge portion is inclined toward the step 16' as indicated at 16",said inclined portions serving to permit the steps to be carriedsuccessively into the slot 14: and to cause the bar to be liftedaccordingly.

The bar is normally in its extreme forward position to maintain thevalves -66 closed, at which time the step 15 is disposed to rest in thelower end of the slot 14 as shown by full lines in Fig. 1 of thedrawings.

In case water should collect in the cylinder in sufficient quantity asto impair the efficiency of the locomotive, the engineman operates theusual hand-lever so as to shift the bar --10 rearwardly in order tocarry the step 16 into the slot 14 in which position the said stepaffords a fulcrum for the bar in the lower end of the slot. Thismovement of the bar and resultant lifting of the same causes the upperedge of the bar to lie in contact with the lower ends of thevalve-stems. By thus positioning the bar during the running of thelocomotive, the pressure of steam in one end of the cylinder will forcethe adjacent valve to closed position, whereby the corresponding end ofthe bar is pushed down by the valve-stem and thus the described fulcrumof the bar causes the opposite end to be thrown up to maintain the valvethereat in open position, whereupon the latter valve is closed by thesteam pressure as before. It will be evident that in thus rocking thebar by the alternate actions of the valves, the cylinder can be relievedeffectually of all water without the escape of steam.

When the bar is shifted to its extreme rearward osition, the step 17 iscarried into the s 0t 14: and at the same time the aforesaid steps 12-12are carried into the slots -88 of the valve-casings and into the slots'99 of the valvestems, by which movement the bar is lifted to a greaterdegree and thus unseats both valves.

It will be understood that by maintaining the valves open, the steam ispermitted to escape from the cylinders, which is the common practice ofan engineman before starting the locomotive for the purpose of heatingthe cylinders, which is especially essential in cold weather in order toguard against excessive condensation of the steam admitted into thecylinders.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination with asteam-cylinder and the cylinder-cocks comprising valves closed bypressure, of a bar engaging said valves and adapted to be shiftedlongitudinally to a position for retaining both valves open, said barbeing also adapted to be adjusted to a rocking position whereby movementof the valve at the steam end of the cylinder to its closed positioncauses the bar to open the other valve for the purpose described.

2. The combination with a steam cylinder, and a pair of cylinder-cockseach comprising a vertically slotted casing and a vertically movablevalve disposed therein and provided with a downwardly extending stemhaving a slot coinciding with the slots in the casing, of alongitudinally shiftable stepped-bar extending through the slots of thecasings and valves and disposed normally cylinder to its closed positionwill force the in position to allow the valves to be seated,corresponding end of the bar down and said bar being adapted to lift thevalve thereby cause the opposite end of the bar stems when shifted toextreme position to I to open the other valve as and for the pur- 5retain both valves open, and adapted to be pose set forth.

moved to a predetermined position for rocking, and a fulcrum-member onthe cylinder JOSEPH DE SALIS' and disposed intermediate the valves toper- Witnesses: mit rocking of the bar, whereby the move- JOHN D. BUCK,

10 ment of the valve at the steam end of the SAUL R. LAVINE.

